Robotic devices are used in a variety of applications for carrying out tasks autonomously. One problem robotic devices face is avoiding collisions while driving through an environment. Different types of sensors are commonly used to identify obstacles and avoid collisions. A robotic surface coverage device may drive through an area faster when fewer collisions are incurred, and thus a job of a robotic surface coverage device may be completed more efficiently. A need exists for a method to reduce the rate of collisions in mobile robotic devices.